ESM Shutters Operations

Extreme Speed Motorsports has closed its doors, ending a nine-year run in top-level sports car racing.

Multiple sources have confirmed to Sportscar365 that the Florida-based team has shuttered operations following the sale of its DPi and LMP3 equipment in recent weeks after failing to secure sponsorship for 2019.

Founded in 2010 by Scott Sharp and Patron Spirits CEO Ed Brown, ESM had largely competed in IMSA, initially in the American Le Mans Series GT class prior to a switch to prototype racing in 2013, which included a two-year venture in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

Among the team’s highlights included overall victory in the 2016 Rolex 24 at Daytona, two wins in the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring as well as both class and overall honors at Petit Le Mans.

An active effort had been made by Sharp to keep the team afloat, even in recent weeks, despite the sale of its Nissan Onroak DPis to CORE autosport and transporters and pit equipment to the upstart AIM Vasser Sullivan organization.

Its LMP3 customer operation, which fielded Ligier JS P3 Nissans in IMSA Prototype Challenge, is understood to have also been liquidated, despite having recently competed in last month’s Michelin IMSA SportsCar Encore at Sebring.

Former crew members have posted photos to social media of the team’s shop in Riviera Beach, Fla. emptied.

In addition to 2009 ALMS champion Sharp, ESM had employed numerous top-level drivers through the years, including Ryan Dalziel, Pipo Derani and Johannes van Overbeek.

Van Overbeek, who had been with the team from the start, retired from full-time competition following October’s Motul Petit Le Mans.

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365 as well as the recently launched e-racing365 Web site for electric racing. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com/SPEED Channel, and contributes to other publications worldwide. Contact John